A New Start
by AthenaIceGoddess
Summary: What happens when Vukovic and his new partner face off in their first case together? Will sparks fly, or is this a match made in... well, not heaven. This might be a series, if I get enough positive reviews... It will get better, I promise! ( had to chang
1. Default Chapter

_JAG Headquarters_

_07:00 Zulu_

Vukovic's POV

Lt. Gregory Vukovic entered the office building whistling. " Hello, petty officer." He said to Jen, who smiled in return. _' I bet she likes me'_ he thought smugly, leaning on her desk, but she handed him a folder.

" Here, Vic. The general said to give this to you and send you into his office when you got in."

Vukovic took the folder a bit nervously. _' What did I do?'_ " Thanks, Coates." She returned to her work, and Vukovic knocked on the general's door.

" Enter." The general's voice said gruffly from thwe other side and Vukovic complied, saluting.

He noticed a young woman, no older than thirty, sitting in front of the general's desk, and wondered idly who she was.

" Lieutenent, meet your new partner, Lieutenent Kara Mason." He said, gesturing to the woman sitting down.

She stood up, smoothing the front of her marine uniform, and offered him her hand.

" Lieutenent." She said coolly, regarding him with an indifferent stare.

_' Oh great. Another jarhead. I can tell we'll get along just fine.'_ Vic thought grimly, thinking of colonel Mackenzie and her attitude towards him.

" You can call me Vic." He said, flashing her his most winning smile. She raised an eyebrow at him like she could see right through him and sat back down.

Cresswell surpressed a grin at the exchange. Hopefully this new arrival would help knock the lieutenent down a few pegs.

" I have your first case here. A navy Petty officer charged with aggravated assult against a senior officer." Cresswell said, handing them a pair of folders.

Mason flipped through it and chuckled. " Boy, this petty officer is in deep. Decking a senior officer in the commissary at chowtime? Not a smart thing to do."

Vic looked at her. " Oh, and I suppose _you_ have a spotless record."

" No, I'm just smart enough to not get caught." She shot back, and Cresswell started having second thoughts. This partnership might not have been a good idea after all.

" Well since you're so good at getting out of hot water, Kat, you can defend, and Vukovic will proscecute. You leave in three hours for the USS Washington."

_USS Washington _

_( Off the coast of Florida)_

_11:00 Zulu_

" We should go find our rooms first, and then go interview the colonel." Vukovic said as he and Mason got off of the helo. She shrugged. " Suit yourself, I'm going to interview first. Rooms can wait. My client probably wants to get this over and done with." She said as a navy commander ran over to them.

" Commander Sheppard. I'm to escort you wherever you want to go. Within reason, of course." He added, with a grin at Kara, who smiled back, much to Vukovic's annoyance.

_' So she'll smile at HIM, but snaps at me. Marines.'_ Vukovic stepped forward and shook the commander's hand. " Lieutenent Gregory Vukovic, sir. We'll go to the-"

" Prisoner, if you don't mind, sir. We would like to get started as soon as possible.Lieutenent Kara Mason" She extended her hand, and Vukovic sent her a glare that she blatently ignored. The commander looked between them, not missing the exchange.

" No problem, lieutenent. Follow me." Vic walked up to Kara. " What was that?" She looked at him. " I told you I was going to interview. What's the problem? Is my assertiveness threatening your manhood?"

He scolwed. She was unbelievable! " FYI, I'm very confident in my manhood, so no, but I don't like to be-"

" Good." She sped up to catch up to Sheppard, eager to start her case. Vukovic ground his teeth, a habit he got out of in the Academy. This new arrival was rubbing him the wrong.

In spite of his annoyance with her, though, he couldn't help but notice the subtle confident sway in her hips as she walked away, and way her green skirt showed off her toned legs.

_' Damnit Vukovic, get a lid on it. She isn't your type.'_ It was true. He usually went for tall, modelesque brunettes with brown eyes. She was the opposite. Sure, she had brown hair, but it was streaked with blond highlights and currently confined in a severe bun, and she had steely grey eyes, and she couldn't have been any taller then 5'2. So what if she had a nice set of legs?

" Coming, Lieutenent?" Mason called over her shoulder, and he grumbled under his breath, jogging to catch up to her.

She certainly had a bad attitude.

They entered a room with a tall, thin young man seated on a bunk, his head in his hands.

" Petty Officer Jones? Lieutenents Kara Mason and Gregory Vukovic." Mason said, and Jones jumped to his feet, saluting.

" Sorry ma'am, sir. I thought you were the cook. He's been trying to get me to eat all day, but I just don't have the appetite." Mason saluted back. " Don't worry about it, petty officer. I wouldn't want to eat if I being charged with assult on a superior officer either."

" So why'd you do it, petty officer?" Vic asked, sitting down on a chair beside a desk, and Mason sat on the desk.

Jones' eyes darkened. " Graines- the colonel- had been hitting on this young nurse for awhile. She had made it clear that she didn't want his attention, but some guys just don' t get it. I was walking into the commissary when I saw him dogging her again. She looked uncomfortable as hell, so I walked over and asked Sara-the nurse- if there was anyting wrong. Graines grabbed me and shoved me back, and I... just swung. I really didn't mean to hurt him,I just wanted him to back off of her. She's a really sweet girl, deserves better."

" Like you?" Vic asked, and the petty officer looked up, startled. " No, sir. I have a wife at home."

" But I know how it can get. You're out here without your wife, you get a little lonely, a pretty young woman comes along-" Kara grabbed his arm.

" Can I talk to you a minute?" She asked, annoyance evident in her voice. Vukovic nodded. " Give us a minute." She told Jones, and went out into the hall with Vic.

" What the hell was that?" She snapped. " I thought I was getting information." Vukovic replied, feigning innocence. " Where did you learn that technique? Iraq? Take it down a notch, Vukovic."

" What is your problem? You've been at me since this morning," Vic asked, and Kara crossed her arms. " I don' t know what you mean." " Sure you do. What do you against me?"

Kara sighed. She knew she had been being tough on him, but he reminded her of an old abusive boyfriend.

" Sorry. Let's start over. Lieutenent Kara Mason. Call me Kat." She smiled, and Vic was entranced. She was really beautiful when she smiled.

" Lieutenent Gregory Vukovic. Call me Vic. It's nice to meet you, Kat. Now shall we go interview this petty officer?" Kat raised a finger at him. " Keep it respectable."

He grinned at her. " I'll try my best."


	2. Chapter 2

_USS Washington_

_( Off the coast of Florida)_

_20:33 Zulu_

Mason's POV

Mason suppressed an urge to strangle Jones. She had already given him a break earlier, and went to interview the nurse who was also unco-operative, in hopes that he would loosen up a bit, but he didn't. If anything, he was worse. He hadn't said a word since she had entered his room.

She needed more information than what the petty officer had already given her. Vukovic had left to interview colonel Graines, to get his side of the story, and Kat was wishing that he was in the room. Even though his methods were questionable, he could probably squeeze some information out of the tight lipped petty officer.

" Well, I think we're done for the day, petty officer." Mason got up and left the room, looking for Vukovic.

She found him in their shared room, reading over the contents of a folder. " So what did Graines have to say about the fight and Sara?" Kat asked, jumping up on the bunk across from her partner.

" He got curiously clammed up when I mentioned the word ' harrassment'. I think an inquiry is in order. What about Jones?" he replied, sliding the folder under his pillow. " Same. He didn't talk. There's something going on here, and I want to find out what. If Graines-or Jones- has been after this girl in an aggressive way, I'll nail their asses to the wall." she said.

Vukovic looked over at her. " Remind me to never piss you off." Kat laughed. " You should never piss off a marine. We're forces of nature." Rolling his eyes good naturedly, Vic laid back.

" So we're on the same page here, right? There's going to be an inquiry into this sexual harrassment claim." Kat nodded. " Yeah. As long as we can convince Cresswell to give us some extra time here. You know," she continued, chewing on a fingernail thoughtfully, " There's something about this nurse, Sara, that I don't quite trust. She seems innocent, but I think she's hiding something"

" I'll check her out tomarrow, and I'll see what the captain has to say about Graines and Jones." Vic said, and Kat snorted. " No, _I'll_ interview the captain. You already have Jones and Sara on your roster. I can do the captain and then scout around, listen for scuttlebutt."

Vic opened his mouth to argue, but she just steamrolled over him. " Thanks Vic, it's sweet of you. Bye." Kat jumped from her bunk and headed for the mess hall for some food and coffee.

When she sat down, she noticed that people were going out of their way to avoid her. _' It's always the same.'_ She thought wryly._ ' Whether or not they've actually DONE something or not, people hate lawyers.'_

Kat was almost finished her coffee when a someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned, and it was Vic, a grim look masking his handsome features.

" What happened?" She asked, getting up. " It's Jones. He was just found in the men's head with a knife in his back." He told her, and she gasped. " What? He wasn't supposed to be out of his quarters! Where was the guard?" She demanded, and Vic shrugged.

" I don't know. We're to report to the captain right now." Sighing, Kat followed Vic out of the mess hall. " Things just got a hell of a lot more complicated. We'll probably be taken off of the case now."

" No way I'll be off this case. I'll convince the general to let us stay on." " Are you always this confident?" Kat asked, and Vic winked. " Only when I'm awake."

" If you're going to act like that, maybe _I_ should talk to Cresswell."

Vukovic's POV

They saluted as they walked onto the bridge. " At ease. What's going on here, lieutenents?" Captain Ryans demanded. Vic and Kat looked at each other. " We thought you were going to tell us, sir. We were just notified of the death of petty officer Jones." Vic explained.

" Death? Don't sugarcoat it, lieutenent. Petty Officer Jones was murdered, and I want the culprit caught." Ryans snapped. " We'll have to talk to general Cresswell, sir." Kat said, and the captain waved her over to a phone.

" Get on it. I want this over with as soon as possible. We're supposed to be deploying to Afganistan in a week, and I want this wrapped up by then." He stalked off, leaving Vic and Kat staring after him.

" Well that was a bit callous, don't you think? It dosen't seem like he even cares." Mason remarked, calling the general.

" At least we can scratch him off our list of suspects. He's too busy to have killed Jones." Vic said, and Kat snorted. " One down, two hundred and ninety nine to go."

JAG Headquarters

" Cresswell." Thousands of miles away, in snowy Virginia, general Cresswell picked up the phone, annoyed at being interrupted on his way out of the office.

" General. This is lieutenent Mason. We have a situation on the Washington. Vukovic and I will have to stat for a while longer than expected. Petty officer Jones, the one that decked colonel Graines, was just found murdered in his room." Kat said, and Cresswell sat back down.

" This had better not be a joke, Kat." He told the young woman, a friend of his daughter's from way back when they were both in high school. Petty officer Coates knocked on his door, and he gestured for her to sit down and wait.

" I wish it was, sir. It's getting pretty complicated here. Before he was killed, Jones said that colonel Graines had a thing for this nurse, Sara Bleines, and it was escalating. Jones said he punched the colonel because he was hitting on her, and she didn't like it. He was trying to be a knight in shining armor."

Cresswell ran a hand through his short hair. " I'll send commander Roberts down there to help you two. Listen, you two are on this case under Roberts now. You'll listen to what he says, and remember that he can send you home if you aren't being helpful. He should be there by the morning."

" Yes sir. Thank you, sir." The general hung up the phone. " What is it, Coates?" He asked.

" The case files are in order, sir. I finished with them a few minutes ago." She said, standing up and getting ready to leave, but Cresswell stopped her.

" Is that a bruise on your cheek, petty officer?" He asked suspiciously. He knew that Jen had recently begun seeing a guy, but didn't know much about him.

She paled. " Oh, I tripped on my way into my apartment last night. I had an armful of groceries, and couldn't see where I was going. Clumsy me, huh?" She said with a lopsided smile, and Creswell's blood heated.

" If this new guy you're seeing is hurting you, Coates, he isn't worth being with. Remember that." He warned, but she quickly shook her head. " Oh, no, sir. He wouldn't hit me. Good night, general." She made a quick exit, and Cresswell stared after her for a minute. He hoped she would make the right decision.

With a shake of his head, he locked up the office and headed out to his car.

Mason's POV

Kat turned to Vic, grinning. " We're still on the case, but we're under commander Roberts. Cresswell said that Roberts will be here tomarrow morning."

" Great. Tomarrow will be a long day of interviewing." Vic said, a competitive light shining in his eyes.

" I'll start with Sara tomarrow morning, and you can start with Graines again." Kat said, earning an annoyed look from Vic.

" You like to take control, don't you?" Kat grinned. " Definately. Does it bother you? Too bad if it does. Suck it up." She patted his cheek, and they headed back to their room.

Vic pulled out the folder from under his pillow, and began reading it.

" What is that? I saw you walk into Cresswell's office with it." Kat asked, propping her head up on her elbow.

" Wouldn't you like to know?" Vic teased. " We should get to bed. Roberts will be here early tomarrow." Kat sighed at his evasion, but crawled under her sheets as he turned out the lights.

" Night."

Thanks for the reviews, guys!


	3. Chapter 3

_USS Washington_

_( Off the coast of Florida)_

_08:01 Zulu_

Vukovic's POV

Vic and Kat waited impatiently on the deck for commander Roberts to get off of the helo, in the drenching, blowing rain that was threatening to knock Kat off of her feet. Vic had had to steady her more than once when the helo landed, much to her chagrin.

Finally, Roberts stepped off of the craft and jogged over to the lieutenents, head bowed from the inclement weather. " Lieutenents!" He yelled in greeting.

They saluted smartly. " Nice to meet you, commander! Wish it could have been under better circumstances, though!" Kat yelled back, shaking Roberts' hand. " Me too, lieutenent! Let's get out of this rain before we're blown away!" The trio bustled into shelter, and got a few chuckles from passing personnell.

" We must look like drowned rats." Kat muttered, brushing a stray lock of coppery hair out of her face with a frown.

" What do we have so far, Vukovic?" Roberts asked, and Vic handed him his and Kat's notes. " Here, sir. You can review this, all you need to know is in there." He wiped his hand down his sleeve, making a small puddle of rainwater on the grey floor.

" You two go change into some dry clothes. Meet me in the commissary in twenty minutes." Roberts said, and Kat grinned. " It will only take me fifteen, sir." Bud raised an eyebrow at her. " It should only take a marine five." He teased.

" Our rooms on the other side of the ship, sir. It'll take me five minutes to get there." Kat said, walking off.

" Is she always like that?" Bud asked Vic, who just sighed. " From what I've seen so far, commander, yeah. She has a bit of an attitude problem, which is probably why Cresswell hired her in the first place. I'm just wondering why he paired her up with me."

Shrugging, Bud checked his watch. " I'm sure he has his reasons. You had better get going before she passes you again." Vic nodded, and jogged off after Kat.

When he caught up to her, she was halfway to the room. " What took you, lieutenent?" She asked with a laugh. Vic winked at her, still trying to get into her good graces. " You're lucky I don't mind borderline insubordination."

" Is that a threat, Vic?" She replied with a derisive snort, " Like you've never been insubordinant." _' Yep. Bad attitude.'_ Vic thought. " No, I'm insubordinant on a daily basis. Just don't mistake me for Cresswell, or you'll probably be out on your ass." He warned, opening the door for her.

" Thanks for the warning." She replied, and Vic really couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not.

Mason's POV

" Ok, so here's what we have so far. A supposed relationship- I'm using that term loosely at this point- between a colonel and a nurse. Bad enoughas it is. Now the guy who claimed that this was going on- who also decked the colonel accused of this- is dead. Lieutenent Mason, you interview the colonel, and Vukovic, you can try and charm some information out of this nurse. I'll float around and talk to some of the senior officers onboard." Roberts said, standing up.

Kat and Vic followed suit. " Yes, sir!" They choroused, leaving the commissary. " Well, I see this is working out _exactly_ as we planned, eh Vic?" Kat said dryly, as they went their separate ways.

" Hey, Kat! Why don't you meet me in the mess hall at 17:00 for supper tonight? We can discuss our interviews." Vic called, and Kat turned around. " Yeah, sure. Constructive criticism is always useful."

" I won't be too hard on you." Vic replied. " Who says I was talking about me?" Kat said coyly, leaving him staring after her as she headed for Graines' quarters.

_' I think the good lieutenent has met his match in me. Maybe that's why Cresswell paired us up. He thought we would help each other tone down out competitive naures'_ Kat mused, walking down the hall.

" Ow!" She wasn't paying attention, and tripped over one of the knee knockers. She would have fallen if commander Sheppard hadn't caught her elbow and steadied her.

" You OK, lieutenent? You need to watch your step around here; Those knee knockers leave a good bruise if you hit them." He said, chuckling as Kat rubbed her calf.

" I see that. Thanks for catching me, sir." She said wryly, hiding her embarrassment at her mistake. " Don't worry about it. Anything I can help you with? You look a bit lost." He asked.

" Um, could you show me to colonel Graines's quarters? I can't seem to find his room. This ship looks the same to me." Nodding, he gestured for her to follow him.

" It seems that way to most people when they first get here. I got lost so many times, the XO was considering assigning me an escort. Graines would be in the gym at this time of day. He enjoys his workouts."

" You know him?" Kat asked, almost jogging to keep up with the lanky commander's strides. " Yeah. Graines and I go way back. We were in the academy together."

Kat sensed an opening here, and she planned on taking it. " Do you know the nurse, Sara?" She asked carefully, so not to alert him to what she was doing until the last minute.

" Sara? Yes, I do. She's a sweet girl. Real nice, pretty. Good at what she does" He replied, and Kat grinned to herself. " I heard through the grapevine that she and Graines had a little something going on on the side. You know anything about that?"

" You heard that from Jones, right? Figures the little weasel would try and pin this on Graines. _He_ was the one after her. Graines was trying to stop him, but he just wouldn't take a hint.Kept after her." An angry note had crept unbidden into his voice, and an involuntary chill crept up Kat's spine.

" Here's the gym. Graine is the one in the ring, on the left." Sheppard pointed him out.

" The one built like a SEAL? I don't envy his opponent." Kat said, watching as Graines pounded a simililarly built guy into the ropes. Just then, the tide turned, and the opponent, a petty officer, got in a luky shot and knocked Graines back.

" Well, I have to go. Glad I could help. " Sheppard said, leaving. The petty officer and Graines went at it for a few more minutes before Kat tired of waiting. The fight wouldn't be over any time soon, and she couldn't wait all day.

" Colonel Graines?" She called, walking up to the ring. The fighters broke apart. " Good fight, Jameson. Keep your fists up more next time." He directed his intimidating stare to Kat, obviously trying to get her to leave him alone.

She refused to be intimidated. " Lieutenent Kara Mason, JAG corps. I have a few qustions to ask you about the murder of petty officer Jones? I understand you two had an altercation a few days back" She said, staring up at him confidently.

" Shouldn't NCIS be handling this?" He asked, climbing down and wiping his face with a towel.

She shook her head. " NCIS dosen't have jurisdiction here. The captain wants JAG to handle the questioning, then NCIS will be called in after." He tilted his headat her. " Dosen't sound like proper protocal to me, lieutenent."

" I didn't write the book sir. I just study it. Now, let's cut to the chase. You know more about this than I do. The more you tell me, the less likely I will be to consider you a suspect. And remember, colonel, I can check anything you say." Kat said, and Graines grinned at her.

" I like you, lieutenent. You don't beat around the bush." Kat bobbed her head in acknowledgement. " I try to keep it simple sir. Works better that way."

He nodded. " Maybe you lawyer weenies aren't so bad after all. Ok, lieutnenet, here's what I know."

( sorry, about the cliffhanger, but the end of the next chapter will be even better! Keep reviewing! ;))


	4. Chapter 4

_USS Washington_

_( Off the coast of Florida)_

_11:42 Zulu_

Vukovic's POV

Vukovic was getting absolutely nowhere with Nurse Bleines. She was wound tighter than a spring, and in no mood to talk. The sweet caretaker everyone he had talked to on his way to meet her told him about had apparently flown the coop.

He woud have to call in the big guns, appeal to her feminine side. Play nice. " This must be hard for you. Did you know petty officer Jones well?" He asked, letting a bit of sympathy creep into his voice.

Her shoulders tensed imperceptively, gone almost before it even happened, but that was what he was looking for, any reaction, and Vic knew he had hit a gold mine.

She looked up at him, all fragile innocence and angelic curls. " I knew him from his visits here. I ate lunch with him a few times, but no, we weren't friends. Why, am I a suspect?" She looked at Vic and tears sprang into her eyes. " Oh, my god, I am, aren't I? Where did you get this?" She cried, sniffling pathetically.

Vic stifled an overpowering urge to roll his eyes. If this was an awards show, this girl would get a Grammy. " I didn't say that. My partners and I are covering all angles. Do you know anyone who might have had motive to off Jones?" He asked, remaining sympathetic.

She recovered remarkably fast, believing Vic's comment. " If I were you, I would check out colonel Graines. He always had something against the petty officer. Now if you will excuse me, I have some things to do."

" Oh, of course." Vic said sarcastically, leaving the room. He had to find Roberts and Kat, to see what they had found. He figured that the good nurse's name could be added to the list of probable suspects. Even if she hadn't done the deed herself, she could have easily found someone to it for her.

She was the best looking woman he had seen onboard so far, and he would bet that she had a following the size of Nantucket.

When he caught up to Roberts in the hallway, the commander flagged him down. " So what have you found so far, lieutenent?"

" Well, we can add nurse Sara to our list. I know she had something to do with it. She had someone do it for her." Roberts gave him an amused look. " You know, that attitude will get you into trouble one of these days."

" How so, commander?" Vic asked, smug in his conviction that Sara was somehow involved.

" Actually, commander, I have to agree with him. I just finished with colonel Graines, and he set the record straight about a few things. Jones and Graines didn't hate each other. It was actually just a misunderstanding. They apologized afterwards, and things were good between them. Graines was giving Sara flag about some stuff he had seen between her and - get this- commander _Sheppard_. Apparently, they were caught in a compromising situation, a while back, and Graines was making sure she had broken it off. She had. Jones thought Graines was harassing her, and made a move to help her out." She took a deep breath, and continued.

" So we can cross Graines off of our lists as well." She finished,a nd Roberts gave her an approving smile. " Good work, lieutenent. Vic thinks that Sara might be involved, but I can't see how now."

Vic snorted. " There are still a bunch of angles to be covered. Don't discredit her as of yet."

" Well, I hope you two enjoy interviewing, because we have a lot of people to go. Lieutenent Mason, I recommend that you interview this Sheppard character, see what he thinks of all this. Vukovic, why don't you go interview the XO while I handle the captain. We'll leave it to after supper." Bud suggested, and the lieutenents nodded.

" Yes, sir." They said, and parted ways. There were a lot of people to be interviewed, and not alot of time to get it done. Bud still hadn't been informed of the deadline given to them by the captain, and wouldn't be pleased when he found out.

_' For good reason,'_ thought Vic as he made his way to his room. _' A case like this with only a week to get it to trial? Not a pretty thing to think about.'_

_Jen's apartment_

_( Virginia)_

_15:23 Zulu_

Petty Officer Coate's POV

Jen juggled her keys and a full brown bag of groceries, funbling to open her apartment door. She stumbled, and the door opened. It was unlocked.

" I could have sworn that I locked that this morning when I left... Maybe Chris left it open by accident when he left." She shrugged and put the groceries on the counter in the kitchen.

Thump! A loud noise from the vacinity of her bedroom alerted her that she wasn't alone. She picked up a large knife from the sink and advanced slowly towards the slightly ajar door.

" Hello? Who's there? I warn you, I'm armed!" She called, and the noises abruptly stopped.

SHe kicked open the door, and a hand snaked out to grab hers, knocking the knife from her grip. " AHH-" She started to scream, but another hand clamped over her mouth.

" Where were you? You were supposed to be home an hour ago! You said that you were gewtting off early today." Her boyfriend, Chris, accused.

" God, Chris, let go of me! I don't answer to you, you aren't my master!" SHe spat, angry at the greeting she recieved.

At that, his hand snapped up and slapped acroos her face. Hard. She slammed into the wall with a loud bang, and tears stung her grey eyes. " Jesus! Get out! That's it! OUT!" She yelled, getting up and pushing him towards the door.

Chris grabbed her wrists, pushing her back. " You don't talk to me like that. Ever. It's about ime you learnd your place, and I think that I just might show it to you." He hissed, his breath warm on her ear.

He raised his fist. " No, Chris- no, don't-" Jen cringed, and waited for his fist to slam into her face yet again.

" What are you doing? Let her go!" The now familiar voice of Bud Roberts' little brother Mike rang out, and he pulled chris off of her. " I think the lady told you to go. Maybe you should." He said, his voice laced with silky menace.

Chris backed down, and fled the apartment. Jen pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and laughed to cover her embarrassment. " Good thing you moved into commander Rabb's old apartment, huh?"

Mike's eyes crinkled in worry. " Are you sure you're ok, Jen?" She nodded. " Yeah, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. After all, you just live down the hall." Mike nodded, and left.

After he closed the door, Jen slid down the wall, putting her head in her hands.

_USS Washington_

_( Off the coast of Florida)_

_15:35 Zulu_

Mason's POV

" So, commander, do you know Sara well? It just seemed like you two were well acquainted when we talked earlier." Mason asked, sitting down across from Sheppard, who sat still as a rock.

" As well as anyone on this ship knows each other." Sheppard replied, and Kat narrowed her eyes at him. " What do you mean by that, commander?"

" Oh, I'm sorry. That came out wrong. We're friends. We knew each other from before we were stationed here." He explained, laughing softly.

For some reason, that laugh sent a chill racing down Kat's spine, and she shifted uncontrollably. It took a lot to make Kat nervous around a person, and Sheppard was doing it effortlessly.

" How good of frieds were you?" She asked, getting a grip on her emotions with some difficulty.

" I don''t see how that's any of your business, _lieutenent_. " he replied tersely, leaving emphasis on her lower rank.

" Well, _sir_, it goes towards motive. You still have the hots for her, and see Jones going after her, kind of makes you mad. Am I close to the mark?" She pressed, leaning forward.

" This is outright insubordination! I could have you court-martialed for this!" He yelled, standing up.

" And I can defend myself. We're done here." She said, leaving. She definately was getting a bad vibe from him. He had a temper, and that could have fueled his fire enough to get Jones.

Walking down the hall, she suddenly remembered her promise of dinner with Vic. She checked her watch, to find that she was 35 minutes late, which wasn't like her at all. She broke into a run, and made it into the mess hall in record time.

" Sorry, Vic. Time flies when you're interviewing a possible murder suspect. We might be calling in NCIS very soon if this pans out." She said, flashing her best smile his way, but he just sulked.

" Aww, were you worried that I had stood you up? You know, you're cute when you'er mad." She teased, grabbing one of his fries.

He grinned. " I knew you would come around. My charms are irressistable." He replied, and Kat rolled her eyes, stealing another fry. " Whoa there, mister Wonderful. Cute, not drop dead gorgeous."

_' Although he sure is HOT, but that isn't important.'_ She thought to herself, shaking her head to get THAT thought out of there. She had better things to think about than jumping her partner. Actually, she refused to think about jumping her partner.

She pulled out of her reverie to find Vic scrutinizing her. " What? Didn't your mother ever teach you that staring was rude?" She asked, disconcerted at the intensity of his gaze.

" No, actually. She taught me it was rude to look up girll's dresses, though." She replied, grinning at her.

" Figures." Kat muttered, taking another fry. " Did _your_ mother ever teach you that it was rude to steal other people's food?" He asked, snatching his plate away from her.

" Nope. She did teach me about not waving this finger around, though." Kat said, waving her middle finger at Vic, who just laughed. " You marines all have the same attitude. Your predecessor was the same way. Although she refused to accept the fact that I was her new partner." He mused, taking a sip of Pepsi.

" What do you mean?" Kat asked, taking back the plate of fries. " Well, she had been partnered with this Harmon Rabb guy for nine years before I came along. As it turns out, they had fallen in love the moment they met, and had to hold it all in for the nine years. A few weeks ago, they recieved new duty orders, Harm to Europe, and Mac- the marine- to San Diego. They had 72 hours to get their stuff in order, and they sure did." He said with a laugh.

" Well? Finish the story!" Kat demanded after a moment of waiting. Vic threw up his hands in defeat. " Ok, ok! They ended up getting engaged the night before they were due to ship out. They flipped a JAG coin to see where they were going, and now they're settling into a new life in San Diego. Nice story, eh?" Vic said, and Kat nodded in agreement.

" Yeah, it is. It would be insane though, having to wait that long. I would go nuts." Suddenly, Kat started rummaging through her pockets.

" Shit! I forgot my cell in Sheppard's room. I have to go back and get it. I'll be right back." She said, running off to go get it.

" Damn scatterbrain. " she berated herself, opening the door. " Heads up, commander. Lady coming in." She called, entering his quarters.

" Hello? Are you in here?" She called, getting a weird feeling when she didn't get an answer. She almost turned around and left, but convinced herself to get her cell.

" Suck it up, marine. It's an empty room. Get the damn phone and get out." She muttered, looking around. She spotted it on the desk, and grabbed it, ready to make her escape, but suddenly, a hand snaked around her mouth, and a cloth was shoved over her mouth and nose.

" You thought you were so smart, thought you had figured out who did it. How do you feel now, Kat?" A sinister voice asked, and Kat, tried to fight the person off, but the darkness reached up and pulled her down into the endless depths.


	5. Chapter 5

_USS Washington_

_( Off the coast of Florida)_

_15:40 Zulu_

Vukovic's POV

Five minutes after Kat had left, Vic was getting impatient. " Where did she go _now_? " He muttered, getting annoyed at the lieutenent's actions. A fwe minutes, later, he was getting a little worried, and decided to go look for her. Even though he didn't really know her all that well, he was finding himself- completely against his will- caring about her and her bad attitude.

He actually liked having the stubborn little woman around, and he couldn't figure out why. But he had to find her.

He left the mess hall, and cornered Sheppard. " Where is she?" He demanded. " Where is _who_, lieutenent?" The commander replied, clearly not knowing the answer.

" Goddamnit. Where the hell did she go? She was supposed to be going to your quarters for a minute." Vic said, wondering what the murderer on this ship would do to conceal his-or her- identity.

" Are you talking about lieutenent Mason?" Sheppard asked, and Vic nodded. " The door to my quarters was open, and I was coming to find her. I figured she was searching my stuff to back up her claim that I was the killer."

" We have to find her. I think the real killer has her, and I don't know how far he'll go." Vic said, and the two men started down the hall, asking everyone they came to if they had seen Kat.

Everyone just shook their heads no. Ten minutes later, Sheppard stopped. " Lieutenent, we should alert your superior officer that lieutenet Mason is missing."

Vic shook his head. " You go, sir. I'll keep searching. Every minute counts in situation like this." _' Especially in a situation like this. The killer could have just thrown her overboard by now.'_ He thought grimly, as Sheppard nodded.

" Good luck. I'll alert the captain while I'm at, start a ship wide search. If she's still onboard, we'll find her." He said, jogging off.

" She better be," Vic muttered, resuming the search, " Because if she isn't, I'll find this killer and rip him apart with my bare hands."

_Jen's apartment_

_( Virginia)_

_15: 45 Zulu_

Coates' POV

A knock on her door made Jen jump and reach for a kitchen knife. She inched over to the door, and peeked out of the peep hole.

" Ahhh." She let out a sigh of relief when she saw who it was, and opened the door. " Mike. Coming to check up on me?" She asked, hoping in a way that he was. Mike was a really nice guy, and not bad looking at all... _' But no. That's just rebound talking. God, Coates, get it together. Stop acting like a silly schoolgirl.'_ She mentally chided herself, stepping out of the way to let the midshipman in.

" Kind of. I was worried." He admitted, smiling that easy smile of his that made her heart jump around like a frog on a sinking lilypad.

" I told you that I was fine." She replied, walking back to the kitchen. " Would you like some food? I'm just finsihing up cooking my dinner, and I think I cooked too much."

" I would, if it isn't too much trouble." He called back, smiling to himself as she carried out two heaping plates of pasta.

" I would say you made a bit too much! Here, let me take those." he set the plates down on her coffee table, and accepted the fork she handed him with a nod of gratitude.

" Mmm, that's really good! I usually don't eat this well unless I'm at Bud and Harriet's!" He said, digging in.

She laughed. " It isn't that good. Did you know that commander Roberts is helping lieutenet Vukovic and the new marine, lieutenet Mason, with their case? He flew in this morning. Apparently, the original case turned into a murder."

" Heady stuff." Mike commented, and soon enough they were chatting away like old friends.

" Well, I'm glad you're ok, then. Thanks for the food." Mike said, standing up and carrying the plates to the sink. " You want any help with the dishes?"

" No, but thanks. And thanks. I'll see you tomarrow?" She asked, hoping she didn't sound as hopeful as she felt.

" Bound to. We live in the same building, after all. Plus, if your cooking is alwaus that good, you won't be able to get rid of me!" He said, grinning as he walked towards the door.

" Feel free to come around any time. I always cook too much, and end up bringing in some for general Cresswell. He never has a lunch." Jen explained. " Well, I wouldn't want to keep the general from his meal." Mike said, sounding slightly disappointed, but hiding it well.

" Oh, no. You underestimate the amount of food I cook on a daily basis. I cook for fun, when I'm feeling down... All the time. My fridge is stocked with leftovers."

" I think I love you!" Mike said, lauhging as he exited. " Good night, petty officer." He said, walking into his own apartment.

" Good night... Mike." She said, leaning against her doorknob for a minute.

" Oh for goodness' sake." She muttered, closing the door for the night.

_USS Washington_

_( Off the coast of Florida)_

_16:12 Zulu_

Mason's POV

" Ohhh..." She opened her eyes, feeling rain soaking through her clothing. _' What have I gotten myself into this time?'_ She thought, and then realized that someone was carrying her. And she couldn't move.

" Wh- What did you do to me?" She asked weakly, and hated herslef for her weakness. She was a marine, she should be able to fight it off. She shouldn't have even been captured in the first place. It was a stupid mistake, and one that she hoped to live long enough to not make again.

" It dosen't matter. You'll be dead soon enough. Drowned in the big, bad ocean." Her captor sneered, shifting her weight to a more comfortable position to carry.

" You're going to throw a temporarily paralyzed woman over the side of a ship? How noble of you. I can see that you were rasied with the proper morales. How proud of you your parents must be." She shot back. She was getting some feeling back in her extremities, and with that, some confidence.

" You shut up about my parents! They have nothing to do with this!" He snarled back, and Kat knew that she had hit a sore spot. Keep him going, and he might start yelling, give away their position before he could send her to a watery grave.

Or he could just get pissed enough to chuck her over right there, but she had to take the chance.

" Aww, did you have a bad relationship with your parents? Did dear mommy not love you? Dear daddy touch you in a naughty place, or did he just beat your mother senseless while you watched?" She said, fake-sweetly, and he bellowed, slamming her up against the wall.

Ow. Now _that_ she felt. " Am I scratching YOUR surface yet?" She asked, then laughed. If she was going to die, she sure as hell was going to make her murderer's life a living hell.

" Little bitch! I'll kill you!" HE yelled, fingers tightening around her neck like a noose.

" Wer- weren't you already going to do that?" She gasped in a breath, seeing stars and rainbows and little birds dance around her head.

" Yeah, I was. Now I'll make it last a long time. Painful." He said, and she recoiled from his breath. It smelled like he hadn't brushed his teeth in a long time, days.

" Get a tick tak, genious. You really think you're going to get away with this? NCIS will be all over your ass. You'll be locked up in the worst naval prison that the jugde can think up. I hope you like guys. Don't drop the soap." She hissed, and he threw her to the side.

She hit the railing, and started to go over when she saw him draw a gun.

A voice, now familiar, cut through her anoxia. " Jones! Don't! Put the gun down! NO! DON'T-"

A gunshot rang out.

**How's that for a cliffhanger?**

**Thanks to all of you who reviewed, especially starryeyes10. Keep reading and reviewing. I'm don't know whether or not to continue if you don't**


	6. Chapter 6

_USS Washington_

_( Off the coast of Florida)_

_16:14 Zulu_

Vukovic's POV

He couldn't believe it. The man about to shoot his partner was petty officer Jones. " Jones! Don't! Put the gun down! NO! DON' T-" He yelled, and pulled the trigger on his own gun.

The bullet hit home, right in the petty officer's shoulder. He went down with a hollar sure to wake the dead, and the gun flew away from him.

Kat slid down the railing, sighing. " Good save, hero. What took you so long?" She asked, eyes closed against the rain, and he knelt down beside her.

" You're welcome. Do you know how hard it is to find two people on a ship this size? You're lucky I heard the petty officer yell."

" And they wonder why fraterenization is so high- Wait. Isn't Jones supposed to be dead?" She asked, as Vic pulled her to her feet, placing his arm around her waist to steady her.

" When I was searching, Sara came running up to me, crying. Apparently she overheard Sheppard and me talking about you being missing, and her conscience won out. She and Jones were involved in an illicit relationship, and they were ordered many times to put a stop to it."

" They decided to fake Jones' death. Apparently, there was this guy who was a dead ringer for the petty officer, and Sara lured him onto the ship. Jones killed him, and they passed off the body as his. No one really knew Jones, except Graines, and he didn't see the body. So they thought they would get away with it."

Kat cleared her throat. " Ahem. That's all nice and wonderful, but why was the dead-but-not-dead petty officer trying to kill _me_? I thought Sheppard was the one who killed the petty officer." She asked.

" Jones got paranoid, went after you. Apparently, he saw you as the greater threat." He replied dryly.

" I'm honored. What are we going to do with him?" She said, pointing her chin at the cringing figure on the floor.

" There's a couple of guys coming to lock him in the brig. And here they are!" The door opened, and a couple of burly seamen came in, yanking the petty officer to his feet and taking him away.

" Come on, We'll get you to the infirmiry, see if there's anything wrong with you." Vic said, and Kat shrugged off his arm.

" I'm fine." He caught her as she swayed and almost fell. " Yep. I can see that. We're going, so shut up and move your feet." He said, and she grudgingly complied.

When they got to the infirmiry, Roberts was waiting for them.

" Are you two okay?" He asked, as Vic helped Kat up onto the table. " Yeah, I'm fine." Kat said, and Vic and Bud exchanged a look that plainly said : Yeah, right.

" Really, I am. I don't even need to be here." Kat said, recieving no answer as the nurse, a tall blonde, started examining her.

" You should have no lasting effects from the chemical. You appear to be in perfect health otherwise. I see no need to keep you here."

" Tell me something I _don't_ know." Kat muttered, getting off of the table with a glare after the nurse as she walked away with Vic.

" This won't even go to trial. They'll be handed a sentence, and that will be that. I have to say that I'm proud of us. Nice and easy. Well, other than the attempted murder." Kat added after seeing the look on Vic's face.

" Yeah. The general should be pleased. We should pack up our stuff. The captain will have a helo waiting for us." Vic said, and the pair walked to their quarters.

Mason's POV

" So are you planning on telling me what is in that folder or not? The suspense is killing me." Kat asked as her partner placed the mysterious folder in his suitcase.

" You'll have to wait a little longer. I'm sure you will survive." Vic said, a hint of teasing in his voice.

" Oh, Vic, come on! Tell me. I promise I'll keep it to myself. Unless it's a deep, dark personal secret of yours. Then I don't think I want to know." She raised an eyebrow at him, and he nodded.

She was silent for exactly five seconds, than jumped off of her bunk and leaped at the suitcase. Vic grabbed her, and they fell on his bed, rolling around and grappling.

Laughing, Kat managed to get the upper hand. ( She suspected he let her, but didn't mind.) She sat on his chest, effectively pinning him to the mattress.

She reached for the case, only to lose her position of supremacy. " What are you going to do now?" She asked him, voice low and teasing. " Handcuff me to the bed?"

He grinned leaning down so his face was inches from hers. " Let me think about that. No, I think I'll let you-" Before he could finish his sentence, the door to their room swung open, and Bud walked in.

" Hey, are you guys- oh. I- I'll come back later..." He said, and Kat knocked Vic off of her.

" Commander! Wait!" He came back in. " It isn't what you think. We were just fooling around." She cringed. " I didn't mean that. What I meant was that- I don't know what I mean. Not that, though." Bud just blinked.

" What lieutenent Mason means is that she was trying to get into my suitcase, and I was restraining her." Vic said, and Kat shot him a deadly look.

" Just get out to the helo." He told them, leaving. " What the hell was that? Do you _try_ to make my life miserable? ' She was trying to get into my suitcase'? God!" She punched him in the shoulder, and grabbed her bag.

Jaming her hat on her head, she stopped at the door. " Well? Are you coming? Or are you just giong to stand there and stare?" She said, flashing him a smile that was intended to make his knees weak.

It worked.


End file.
